


The Journey Starts Anew

by cracklesnaple



Series: the fall of a hero [6]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Exiled TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Gen, Gods, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kinda, Magic, Minecraft Realism, Panic Attacks, Plot, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, TommyInnit Angst (Video Blogging RPF), i didnt know that was a tag yet, ill add tags as i think of them, like there's so much plot building in this, mentioned - Freeform, that's a common tag in this series ngl, yall work really fast
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:41:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28168647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cracklesnaple/pseuds/cracklesnaple
Summary: After learning he is the new champion of an unknown god, Tommy sets off on yet another journey to find out what has been calling to him. Along the way, he meets a new face and plans fall into motion.(this work is part of a series!)
Relationships: Jordan Maron & TommyInnit, everything is platonic - Relationship, shippers plz do not interact
Series: the fall of a hero [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2036035
Comments: 38
Kudos: 323





	The Journey Starts Anew

**Author's Note:**

> (if any of the content creators mentioned in this series are uncomfortable with this fic/fics in general, this will be taken down! Please keep in mind that this series is about the characters portrayed in the smp, not the real people! Everyone is friend's with each other and this whole thing is for fun!) 
> 
> [playlist for the fic ](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4zcWofQLfmQDQ2lYklN8RU?si=qyXiBndGQsmfeXR5ng1Uvw)
> 
> Enjoy!

As the door slid shut behind him, Tommy took a moment to breathe deeply, willing his heart to calm down. He hadn’t thought his family would be so supportive of him or would be willing to right the wrongs they’d done to him. A smile formed unbidden to his lips and he tried to shove it down, not wanting to get his hopes up. He desperately wished he could stay with his family longer, he yearned for their love that had been denied to him for so long, but he had to keep moving or he never would.

Tommy had stayed a few days longer, unwilling to give up on that bubble of peace as long as he could, but the need to move grew on him more and more until he knew he had to leave. He had felt the stirrings of something in his mind, like someone was trying to reach out but couldn’t, not yet. Tommy figured whatever was calling him had something to do with the new mark on his rest. There had been a few images played in his mind from whatever god he was now the champion of and Tommy saw flashes of a bloody sword, a grim battlefield filled with aimless soldiers, of greedy men and women getting the gruesome fate they deserve, and Tommy knew what his goddess represented, and he couldn’t be happier.

He hadn’t had an objective for so long. But now, he was no longer just wandering aimlessly away from his old nation. Tommy had a purpose now and it flowed through his veins, his very being. He ran a thumb across the new ink seared into his skin, tracing the lines of the purple scales. It was hard to believe that a goddess had actually chosen him of all the people in the world, but he couldn’t deny that it felt nice to finally be someone’s first choice.

The feeling of arms circling his shoulders, a weightless hug given by his goddess, gave him enough courage to take the first few steps away from Techonlade’s cottage and, before he knew it, the steps he took were his own. Tommy clenched the crown Techno had slipped to him before he left from where it sat safely in his shoulder bag. He was incredibly surprised his brother gave it to him, especially after learning the history behind it, but he wasn’t going to decline the gift.

_“Tommy?”_

The suddenness of the whisper startled Tommy, causing him to lose his step and fall into the snow. He cursed loudly, already wishing to be out of this shitty, never-ending biome. The whisper was familiar to Tommy, it was from the only person who still kept in contact with him from L’Manburg; Ranboo. Tommy found it ironic that the one person who talked to him from his old home was the newest person to move into the nation. Ranboo had only been in L’Manburg for a couple days before Tommy was forced to run but the two boys had been instant friends, and Tommy would forever be grateful to the endermen hybrid for sticking with him through all this shit.

 _“What’s up?”_ Tommy sent back through the ether, knowing it would reach his friend safely. The boy never really understood how the whispers worked, he didn’t think anyone did, but he wouldn’t deny that being able to communicate with someone no matter where you were in the world was extremely useful. All he knew was that it was old magic, extremely old magic from before the creations of the worlds and servers, but knowledge deeper than that had been lost to man for a long time.

 _“Dream is removing George from the throne.”_ Ranboo’s words rang through his mind, the tell-tale timber of his friend’s voice clear even though there were thousands of chunks in between them.

That was the last thing Tommy expected Ranboo to tell him. He didn’t know why Dream would want George off of the throne when he had done so much just to get the man there in the first place. Dream had all but ripped the crown off of Eret’s head when the man tried to help L’Manburg. George was the only man that Tommy knew was on Dream’s side without having to ask, the two had been close since before Tommy and Wilbur traveled to Dream’s territory.

 _“What? Why?”_ Tommy whispered back, finally picking himself off the ground and continued his journey out of the tundra. He kept heading north, certain that he needed to keep going in that direction. His bag was tucked to his side and he latched it close, making sure nothing could spill out. The familiar coat was pulled close to his body and he was dressed in layered clothing that kept out the cold air.

Ranboo sent another whisper his way. _“I’m not sure, but it’s causing a big uproar. Sapnap is threatening to leave the Dream Team and keeps defending George.”_

Tommy hummed, thousands of possibilities running through his mind. If Dream was losing two of his closest allies, that could really aid him. Dream was already not a very well liked person throughout the smp, the only deterring factor was that the ones that were on his side were extremely skilled and stacked in gear.

 _“Who’s gonna be king now?”_ Tommy knew that, if he could, Dream would put himself in charge of the throne but there were laws put in place that kept Admins from acquiring too much power through that means. Of course, Dream didn’t let that stop him and instead put people he knew he could manipulate and bend to his will in charge of his lands while he didn’t hesitate to use force to get what he wanted.

 _“Get this,”_ Ranboo whispered and Tommy could hear the dry amusement the other teen felt echo through the words. _“Dream, in all his green glory, has decided to reinstate Eret as King of the Dream SMP.”_

Well. Dream sure was full of surprises today. _“Why would he do that?”_ He asked through the ether, grumbling to himself as the cold nipped at his nose and fingers. _“Doesn’t he realize he can’t manipulate Eret anymore?”_

As Tommy waited for Ranboo to answer, he looked out into the distance. He had made it to the top of a fairly large hill that overlooked a large portion of the tundra. In the distance, Tommy could see the tundra starting to thin, trees getting sparser and sparser. He was more than ready to be out of the hostile biome. Tommy made his way down from the hill and continued to head north.

 _“I guess not,”_ he heard Ranboo’s whisper as he walked. _“He claims it’s because he wants to keep George safe but I don’t know how much I believe that.”_

 _“That doesn’t make any sense,”_ Tommy mused back. _“There haven’t even been any threats against George, why would Dream get paranoid all of the sudden?”_

_“No idea. I think he’s trying to trick Tubbo into thinking he’s on his side.”_

_“That does seem like something that green bitch would do.”_ They’re both silent for a moment, the first beams of light from the sunrise hit the snow beside Tommy’s feet. _“How’re you? You all doing alright?”_

Ranboo’s answer came soon enough and Tommy let out a relieved sigh. _“Me and Nikki are alright, we’re mostly just keeping our heads down. The cabinet seems to be busy but they’re keeping whatever they’re working on under wraps so I’m not sure what’s up.”_

_“That definitely sounds ominous.”_

_“It most certainly does.”_

_“Thanks for keeping me updated.”_ Tommy could feel the air slowly warm as he neared the next biome.

_“Of course. Speaking of, when are you coming back?”_

He had forgotten that he hadn’t told his friend he wouldn’t be returning - at least he wouldn’t return any time soon. It would be long before he saw his old nation again.

_“Not soon. I have some things I have to do first.”_

_“Like what?”_

_“Like getting the one thing that can kill Dream once and for all.”_ Tommy felt he may be laying it on a little thick, seeing as he doesn’t actually know what this thing was - or if it was even a thing - but he knew wherever he was headed would lend a hand in the Admin’s downfall.

 _“What?”_ He could almost feel Ranboo’s shock at the statement and laughter bubbled from his chest. _“What could kill an Admin?”_

Ranboo did have a good point, Admins were notoriously difficult to kill. Not only were they among the most skilled humans in the world, they had access to old magic that most other mortals didn’t. This meant that, not only would Tommy need to counter Dream’s ridiculous combat skills and his goons that were always decked out with the best gear, he would need to find some way of severing the man’s access to his magic.

_“I’m not sure yet.”_

Tommy could imagine the eye roll Ranboo did from chunks away, and he wished he could talk to his friend face to face.

 _“Why am I not surprised? But,”_ the whisper added after a brief moment of silence. _“Don’t forget you have a home here, even if it doesn’t feel like it. Plus, Dream and Tubbo never truly exiled you so, technically, there are no laws preventing you from coming back.”_

The boy hummed to himself, making sure to commit that little detail to memory. It could come in handy later and Tommy needed every bargaining chip he could get his hands on.

_“Let’s hope it stays that way. And, Ranboo?”_

_“Yeah?”_

_“I’ll be back, I promise.”_ Tommy vowed and he hoped the other boy knew the extent of his promises. When he truly promised someone and set his mind to it, he’d never break it, and this was a promise he was adamant to not break.

 _“I know you will be.”_ He heard Ranboo’s sigh and felt guilty for making his only friend so worried. _“Keep me updated?”_

_“Of course, and same to you.”_

Their conversation tapered off after that so Tommy focused all his efforts into keeping his legs moving in the right direction and keeping unwanted thoughts at bay. He didn’t know where this new journey would lead him, but he felt more ready than he ever had with the belief of his goddess backing him up and his family waiting for him to return.

His first stop after weeks of walking north was at a small village. Few houses dotted the start of the tree line The locals eye him wearily as he walks through the meager stalls, no doubt hesitant at the sight of his torn and up and dirtied clothes. Tommy had tried so hard to keep the clothes pristine but living out at the mercy of the elements wasn’t kind to them, no matter what he did. He pushed their stares from his eyes and focused on finding what he had come for.

Wilbur’s old winter coat that he had so obsessively clung to since he ran away rested over his arms and the sleeves of his light blue shirt were rolled up past his elbows. The weather had gotten progressively warmer the further he walked as the biomes continued to change and Tommy was grateful. He wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to live in such a cold biome like his brother. Tommy had also taken to wearing Techno’s crown more often than not, the weight helped ground him when his thoughts were too loud and he needed a reminder of why he was doing what he was.

The longer he walked, the closer Tommy felt to whatever was tugging him and the feeling was overwhelming as he walked through the village. His nerves felt alight and he couldn’t fight down the anxiety that rose every minute he hesitated. Almost against his will, his head was pulled to the right, eyes focusing on a cluttered stall that seemed to be selling antiques. Propped up against the front of the stall, resting on the slightly rotting wood and thinning blanket of the stand, was a bow. The bow seemed to glimmer in the sunlight, purple hues swirling up and down the deep black wood. It was long, bigger than the one Tommy would use with Phil when he first learned how to hunt or the ones sold in Dream’s kingdom, and he could see purple markings curved throughout its body. The tips of the limbs curved outward and were sharpened to give it a deadly appearance.

Tommy had never felt drawn to using bows before, he preferred the ease of a sword more than anything, but he couldn’t look away from the bow. Next to it, propped up against it’s light absorbing wood, was a quiver made with thick leather and a singular arrow tucked within it. It made for a weird sight, of all the times Tommy had ever seen villagers selling arrows, they came in a quiver of ten or twenty, never just one.

He moved towards the stall, apologizing to a local he had accidentally bumped into in his dazed state, and stopped once he stood in front of the table. An old woman was sat in a rickety chair, eyes half closed as if she were about to fall asleep even though the sun had just risen a few hours ago. Tommy went to touch the bow - he noticed it was the only item on the stand not covered in dust - when a rattling voice stopped him.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, kid.” He glanced up, the movement almost painful as his nerves screamed at him to take the bow. The old woman was now staring at him but her gaze was piercing and uncomfortable, almost as if she could see right through him. She wore the familiar robes of a cleric, purple and gold fabrics wrapped around thin arms. Tommy had always been weary of clerics and had tried to stay away from them. There was something unnerving how they always seemed to know his life better than he did himself. “That bow is cursed.”

Tommy cocked his head. The weapon didn’t look cursed, but, he supposed that was the point of curses, to not make it obvious.

“How’s it cursed?” He asked, though he was sure the bow wouldn’t hurt him. Or, at least he hoped it wouldn’t. As much as he wanted to have complete trust in the goddess that had chosen him, Tommy couldn’t get rid of the lifetime of instincts telling him not to trust anyone or anything.

“It releases a deadly poison to anyone who touches it. I’ve been carting it around half my life and no one has been able to survive it.”

“Then why try to sell it?”

“I don’t have to explain my business to a brat,” was the answer he got in return and to say he was thrown off would be an understatement. Tommy didn’t think the question was particularly offensive or anything of the sort, he was genuinely curious why someone would actively try to sell something that deadly. He also wondered how the woman had gotten ahold of it and carried it around without ever touching it accidentally.

“How much do you want for it?” Tommy asked instead of letting himself get agitated over the old hag’s comment. The woman raised a withered eyebrow and looked at him as if he were an idiot.

“I just told you it poisoned anyone who touched it, kid. You got a death wish or something?”

“Or something,” he snapped, feeling himself grow more upset the longer the conversation continued. Tommy was seriously starting to hate trading with villagers, not to mention he found normal social interactions utterly tiring after months of traveling alone. “How much?” Tommy asked again, his words slightly strained.

The woman laughed, the sound wet and bitterly uncomfortable to Tommy’s ears. “Tell ya what, kid,” she started and Tommy felt his eye twitched as he fought down anger. He had always had problems with his anger, it was the main reason he got into trouble, but he had thought he was starting to get better at keeping his emotions under control. “Give me five emeralds and we’ll call it a deal. It’s your life anyways.”

Tommy rolled his eyes but shuffled through his shoulder bag, pushing his crown back when it fell into his eyes, and produced five glittering pieces of emerald. He dropped them onto her outstretched hands before finally wrapping his hands around the bow. The wood felt smooth on his skin, almost as if it were made of silk, and, now that he could see it up close, he could make out the purple runes etched into it. Tommy was able to recognize a few of them; piercing that would make the arrows wickedly sharp, punch which added extra force behind the hit, and one that extended the life of the item itself, meaning it wouldn’t get damaged as easily.

He heard the woman’s gasp when he didn’t immediately succumb to an agonizing death and Tommy felt rightfully amused. The constant itch to keep moving forward had finally eased until all that was left was his own need to get stronger. Pieces of trust started to mend within him and he sent a grateful thanks to his goddess for the fact that she hadn’t led him astray.

“I guess they just didn’t deserve it,” he said with a smile full of mirth. Tommy strung the boy across his body carefully, making sure it wouldn’t snag on anything and then snatched up the quiver with the singular arrow. The arrow itself looked dangerously sharp, to the point where Tommy was tempted to see if it would prick his finger, but he refrained.

“Why does it only come with one arrow?” Tommy asked, deciding to ignore the dumbstruck look on the woman’s face. He wouldn’t deny that it felt nice to prove people wrong when they underestimated him.

There was silence for a few moments before the cleric seemed to rouse herself out of her surprise and answered his question. “There’s an infinity rune on the quiver so you’ll never run out of arrows.” She gestured to the strap of the quiver and Tommy saw that there was another rune carved delicately into the leather. He hummed and closed the top of the quiver, making sure the arrow would fall out, before swinging it across his shoulder as well.

“Thanks. Bye,” he murmured quickly before attempting to take off, wanting to get out of this village as soon as possible, but his arm was snagged between wrinkled fingers and he repressed a sigh.

“You’ve got quite the destiny ahead of you,” she said cryptically and Tommy felt his annoyance rise sharply as he yanked his arm back.

“Fucking hell,” he groaned at the words. “I’m really tired of people comparing me to a fucking hero.” Tommy didn’t wait for the cleric to speak again and made his way to a few more necessary stalls (he was getting low on rations and needed to restock) before he left through the gates of the village. He decided that was enough social interaction until he was desperate for materials.

A week passed quickly, Tommy’s time filled with traveling and practicing with his new bow. Archery had never been his strong suit. While he was fairly good with the weapon, his aim was always off and he never seemed to understand how they truly worked. After losing more than ten arrows trying to shoot one deer, he was starting to give up hope of ever mastering the weapon.

Tommy couldn’t help but wonder why he had been given a bow of all choices when his goddess must’ve known that he was truly shit at it. He tried to view it as a challenge, he had always been good at those, so he threw himself into practicing until his arms burned and his fingers bled. His breath left him in a frustrated sigh and he jumped down from his perch on a tree.

Tommy had set up camp for the night in the middle of thick forest, oak trees sprawled around him, perfect for hiding from mobs. The sun had set a long time ago, taking with it the warmth of the day and the boy was thankful, yet again, for the clothes Techno had provided him weeks ago. He had dug a small hole into the side of a hill and that’s where he had stored all of his stuff before he went out to hunt and he quickly made his way back, sealing off the entrance with a bit of loose cobblestone.

His sleep was fitful, as it had been since he first left L’Manburg. Images of battlefields he didn’t know and lives he never lived plagued his dreams. The feeling of retribution, of finally getting revenge on those who had wronged him. These dreams were never fearful of terrifying, they didn’t wake him up in a panic, heart beating to the familiar tune of paranoia, they bordered on comforting. As if he were close to finally getting the happy ending he’d waited so long for.

He heard glimpses of words during these dreams, fragments of phrases indecipherable to him after he’d woken up. All he can remember upon waking up is the feeling of a hand running through his hair and soft affirmations of comfort. Tommy couldn’t think of a time where he felt comforted by another person, besides his family recently, in a long, long time. Ever since he and Wilbur had been exiled by Schlatt, Tommy had lost all sense of comfort as his brother succumbed into insanity and everyone else slowly started to leave him.

Tommy packed up his things with a solemn demeanor. Thinking about his past, especially Pogtopia, was never easy and never failed to sour his mood. Try as he might, it seemed impossible to get rid of the thoughts of betrayal and pain caused by his nation and its residents.

He ignored his thoughts, choosing instead to focus on counting the rations stocked in his bag. Once Tommy was convinced he had all his items, he broke through the cobblestone doorway and kept walking. At this point, so long into his travels with only a vague goal to get back to Dream’s territory and kill the green bastard, the boy had no set plan for how long it would take him, or what he would do with his time before he arrived in the nation. For now, Tommy would use his time fighting mobs and the occasional Pillager member or witch to better at, not only his swordsmanship, but his archery as well.

Traveling often got lonely, and some days Tommy would have to put extra focus on not letting his mind slip too far. He had seen what insanity does to his family and he was nothing if not adamant that he wouldn’t let himself go down the same route. To keep himself entertained, he hummed the songs of his discs, tunes that he hasn’t been able to hear in months because he didn’t have access to a jukebox, but he would never be able to forget their notes.

He stopped abruptly, the sound of a twig breaking near him sent panic rushing through his veins, his body immediately preparing for a fight. Tommy unhooked his bow from where it hung across his shoulders and slid an arrow out of the quiver, quickly notching it. Now on high alert, he felt like he could hear everything around him and he made sure to not move a muscle.

Another twig snap to his right had him whipping around, bow pointed straight into the woods. Tommy couldn’t see anything yet and was beginning to think he was being too paranoid, that the noises were just an animal walking around, but he was sure that the footsteps were too heavy to be anything but human. A ruffle of fallen leaves and a figure appeared about twenty feet away. They were too far away for the boy to see properly and he could tell that they had their back turned to him, but Tommy knew better than to let his guard down.

As soon as the figure turned around, they yelped, instinctively throwing their hands up when they saw the bow pointed at him. They slowly walked closer and Tommy only allowed it so he could see the person more clearly. Once they stepped into a beam of sunlight, Tommy could make out the man’s features. He had black, slicked back hair and a matching black goatee and his eyes were covered in a particularly alarming shade of red sunglasses. Along with that, he wore a long red cloak, the same shade as his sunglasses, that was shut in the front by small golden clasps, a white shirt underneath that and black trousers to complete the outfit. All in all, the man definitely didn’t look like he should be trapezing in the middle of a forest. He had a few basic weapons on him, a sword and a bow same as Tommy, but other than that, he looked very underprepared.

“Who are you?” Tommy called out, making sure his voice was steady and didn’t show his rising panic.

“My name’s Jordan,” the man answered softly but loud enough that Tommy could understand him.

“What are you doing all the way out here?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” was the response he got and Tommy was compelled to snarl at the man until he got an actual answer, but a wave of reassurance flew through him, causing the action to stop in its tracks. Tommy could feel his shoulders relax and his panic ease but he struggled against it. He knew that it was, probably, his goddess telling him to trust this new man, but he had learned his lesson trusting people so quickly.

Tommy stayed silent, waiting for the man to answer him properly. The silence lasted a few moments before sighing and letting his arms fall.

“I’m with a patrol from the village,” the man said this time. Tommy cocked his head, he hadn’t run into another village yet and hadn’t seen any smoke signaling that there was one near.

“What kind of patrol?” Tommy questioned.

“Hunting,” was his answer. “But I seem to not be having the best of luck.” Tommy decided not to mention that that was most likely his fault as he had been trying to shoot the nearby animals all morning. “Would you like to head there with me?”

Tommy couldn’t help but be stunned by the question. Did the man have no sense of self preservation? Here he was, holding a bow at his face one move ready to fire and he had the gall to ask Tommy if he wanted to go back to his village with him? The boy didn’t know what he was on but it must’ve been strong.

“You’re joking right? Why would I willingly go anywhere with a stranger?”

Jordan shrugged, as if finding the answer satisfactory. “Fair enough,” he said in return. “But I can’t leave a kid out here by themselves in good conscience. I’d feel way better knowing you were safe.”

“I don’t know where you fucking come from, pal,” Tommy spat out, uncomfortable memories of people leading him into the unknown only for shit to blow up in his face - literally - rose to the forefront of his mind no matter how hard he tried to bury them. “I’m not comin’ with you. I’ve been by myself for months now, you’re bleeding heart isn’t gonna make a difference.”

The man stared at him for a minute, obviously sizing him up and Tommy twitched, the earlier feelings of reassurance had gone and were replaced by his own paranoia. It seemed as if his goddess had given up, and he was grateful for that at the moment. He never liked other people telling him how to feel and act.

“Your stance is wrong.”

Tommy blinked, not expecting that sentence out of everything the man could say. “Huh?” he let out elegantly and the man laughed at his reaction.

“Your stance,” he repeated, this time gesturing to the bow in his hands. “With the bow. You’ll never shoot properly standing like that.”

Tommy glanced down at the way he was standing, not finding anything wrong. He wasn’t standing any differently than he had when Phil first taught him to shoot. Though, to be fair, his dad wasn’t that good at archery either, he was way more adept at the sword like Techno.

“Your knees are locked, and your feet are too far apart. I could go on.” Strangely, Jordan didn’t sound like he was being condescending, more like he was informing Tommy so he could fix it.

“What does that have to do with me not following you to my death?”

The man rolled his eyes, clearly bemused at Tommy’s responses. “It means,” he stressed, “that, if you come with me, I can teach you how to properly wield that bow.”

Now that, that offer was tempting, Tommy would have to admit. While he didn’t trust the man as far as he could throw him - which, admittedly, wouldn’t be very far judging by the amount of muscle the guy has opposed to his skinny arms, all the muscle taken from weeks and weeks of barely any food and constant travel - he did need all the help he could get in making sure he could take on Dream. He contemplated the proposition, weighing his pros and cons and this time, when he felt a push in his mind to accept the offer, he listened to it.

Tommy shoved the arrow back into the quiver and slung the bow back around his shoulders. “Fine, but only if you promise you’re not actually shit at archery and know that I will not hesitate to fucking gut you if there’s any funny business.”

Despite the threat, Jordan beamed brightly and Tommy couldn’t fathom as to why the stranger was so happy to have him go to this village. “I’m actually the best archer you’ll find within a couple thousand blocks so I think I’m a better teacher than most. And, while I can tell it won’t stop you from worrying, my village is very peaceful so you don’t have to worry about any trouble.”

“You’re right,” Tommy agreed and hesitantly made his way towards the man. “It doesn’t change anything. Lead the way.”

The walk to the village was shorter than Tommy expected and he was concerned that he hadn’t even noticed the evidence of people living nearby. Usually, the signs of a town nearby would include evidence being left behind in the woods from patrols - such as broken twigs and footsteps - like Jordan claimed he had been on, but Tommy had seen nothing. The boy chose to believe it was simply because the locals didn’t travel out very far in this direction instead of it being because he hadn’t been paying attention to his surroundings.

All of the sudden, Tommy could hear the sounds of the locals. Metal on metal could be heard, the ringing _twang_ of a blacksmith hammering away ricocheted off the surrounding buildings. The marketplace seemed to be full of life as the chattering of voices filled the air. It filled Tommy with a sense of nostalgia and a sudden longing for the times when his country was new and untainted by hate and war. This was the life the boy had wished for all those years ago when L’Manburg had just been an idea, full of happiness and ease. No war constantly hanging over its civilians heads, just unfettered peace.

“What are you thinking about?” Jordan asked from beside him, eyebrows scrunched together in worry and Tommy wondered how someone could care so much for a stranger.

“None of your business, bitch,” he snapped bitterly, even though the man had done nothing to him. Anger had always been his default emotion no matter the time, and he was sure that would never change. “How come we couldn’t hear anything before?”

Jordan smiled, a proud look on his face when Tommy asked. “One of our best mages has a sort of force field around the whole village that keeps us safe from mobs and Pillagers. It blocks the village from the minds of anything living so they wander around it instead of towards it.”

Tommy hummed at the answer. That would explain why the boy hadn’t noticed any signs of a village near. That was good, at least. It meant that he wasn’t losing his mind just yet. There were runes carved into the stone archways of the gate and Tommy guessed that’s what was powering the aforementioned force field. Once they passed through the gateway, the pair were bombarded with people welcoming them back - well, they mainly talked with Jordan and asked how and why he had acquired a random kid.

So far, all of the townspeople seemed alright, if not a little too cheery for Tommy’s taste. After being constantly surrounded by doom and gloom his entire life, being around so many genuinely happy people was kind of bizarre. A few of the more curious villagers crowded him with questions until his breathing picked up and his heart started to beat faster.

As if the man could tell Tommy was slowly delving into a panic attack from all the attention and gently ushered the group away. Jordan laughed uncomfortably and Tommy watched as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck.

“Sorry about that,” he apologized. “We don’t get a lot of newcomers this far out so they tend to get overzealous when we do.”

Tommy just nodded, not trusting his voice to stay steady when his heart was still in his throat. His knuckles were white with the force of his grip on the bow. Everything seemed too loud now, even though it had been fine a minute ago. The clang of the blacksmith, a jittering laugh from a nearby bakery, all of it grated against Tommy’s ears.

A gentle hand on his forearm startled him so bad he took a forceful step back. When he looked up he realized it was just Jordan but the crawling feeling from the touch still didn’t leave. The man gestured for Tommy to follow him as he started walking past the marketplace and Tommy walked behind him.

They neared a modest house at the other edge of the village where the people had thinned out to just a few here and there. Tommy felt some of his breath come back and his hands stopped shaking. Jordan let him inside the house and, for some reason unknown to him, Tommy followed. The house was sparsely decorated, a few pieces of furniture here and there and it seemed well taken care of though definitely well-lived in.

“You alright?” Jordan questioned as he shut the door behind him and moved into the kitchen. Tommy shrugged and sat stiffly in a nearby chair at the dining table. Though he could feel the heavy grips of exhaustion - panic attacks always sapped all of his energy - his mind still screamed at him to pay attention to his surroundings. “Want anything to drink?”

“No,” Tommy denied immediately. He had his own water in flasks he had gotten from Technoblade, he wasn’t going to eat or drink something he couldn’t see being prepared. The two are quiet as Jordan messed around in the kitchen. Tommy couldn’t see what the man was doing, the table was just out of sight of the doorway to the room and the boy took the time to look more closely, trying to see what he could find out about Jordan.

There was a dinged up sword resting against an end table, it was the color of faded iron with specks of rust near the hilt. It must’ve been sentimental for Jordan to keep it since Tommy highly doubted the weapon could be used anymore.

“When are you gonna start training me?” Tommy asked when Jordan came into the room, a steaming mug held between his hands. Now that they were closer, Tommy could see the scars that littered the man’s face. There was a particularly long one that ran from the corner of his left eye and traveled down past his mouth, a nick by his nose, one by his hairline, and probably a dozen smaller ones. Tommy wondered who the man had been before he settled down in the village.

Jordan raised an eyebrow at him. “It’s almost nightfall,” he answered. “And you’ve been walking all day. Get some rest and we’ll start first thing in the morning. Besides,” with this, he looked at Tommy with a pointed glance. “You haven’t even told me your name yet.”

Tommy grumbled at the prospect of waiting even longer but he supposed it made sense. “It’s Tommy,” he chose to say instead of anything that would get him kicked out.

The man nodded at him. “There’s a guest room down the hall if you want to get settled. I can have food ready in an hour if that’s good with you. Just a warning, though,” Jordan added as an afterthought. “I’m a rubbish cook.”

The boy was surprised at his generosity, though he was starting to think he shouldn’t be. He was tempted to deny the offer, Tommy still had enough rations in his bag to last him a few weeks if he was liberal. In the back of his mind, in a voice that sounded suspiciously like his father, Tommy thought it would be rude to ignore the man that was offering to train him.

“I can make a decent rabbit,” Tommy said, his attempt at a peace offering that was rewarded with another bright smile from Jordan and a feeling of pride from his champion mark. With that done, Tommy shuffled to the suggested room. The room was small with just enough space to fit a small bed, a night stand, and a wardrobe. Anything was better than his hole in the ravine and the trees he had been sleeping in for almost a year so Tommy was grateful he had a bed to sleep in at all.

He set his bag down on the mattress, his bow and quiver joined quickly. Tommy ran a hand across the smooth black wood of the bow before opening his bag. His crown had been tucked into the bag for safe keeping during the day, Tommy was afraid the gleam of it would catch the sunlight and scare off prey or warn a mob that he was near. Now that he was safe - or as safe as someone like him could be - he placed it back on his head, shoulders relaxing at the comforting weight.

With his eyes closed, Tommy sat down at the edge of the bed, elbows set on his knees and he rested his head in his hands. The boy hadn’t given himself a moment’s break since he left his brother’s home and it seemed, now that he was safe at the moment, he felt endlessly tired.

“What am I supposed to do?” Tommy whispered to himself, voice muffled through his hands. He wasn’t talking to anyone in general but it was directed at his goddess at the same time. When Techno first told him he might be a champion and when his mark was first burned into his wrist, Tommy had thought the deity was going to be more active in his life. He guessed it made sense, he was sure the goddess was busy doing whatever immortal shit gods did and that it was still Tommy’s life and he should be making his own decisions, which he was, but he wouldn’t mind a little input here and there.

_“Learn.”_

Tommy jolted at the sudden voice, his elbow knocking painfully against his knees as he flailed. He thought it was a whisper at first, one of the few people he kept in contact with was trying to speak with him. But then he realized he didn’t know anyone with that voice. It was a low but firm voice that reminded him instantly of Phil when he or his brothers had gotten in trouble and he was trying to punish them. The only woman who would whisper to him was Nikki but she hadn’t spoken to her since she introduced Ranboo to him.

“But _how?_ ” Tommy pleaded, the reality of his goals suddenly catching up with him and he shuddered at the thought of taking on Dream right now. It would surely get him killed and Tommy knew that a few weeks of training wouldn’t prepare him to fight one of the most skilled warriors in this world. “How am I supposed to fight someone who’s years above me? I’ve already been away for a year! Who knows how much longer I have before Dream starts pulling shit again!”

 _“Shh.”_ The voice was accompanied with a sense of warmth spreading throughout his body. _“Train with the captain. Trust him. All will happen as it should.”_

Despite everything, Tommy couldn’t withhold a snort. “If that ain’t ominous I don’t know what is.”

_“Be calm, little one,” the whisper said again. “We will speak again when I’m able.”_

And with that, just as quickly as the conversation had started, it was over. His mind was once again silent save for his own loud thoughts. Tommy still felt more conflicted than not, old instincts screaming at him to keep moving, keep moving. There’s no time to waste. There are people waiting for him to come back. (But are there really?) He made a promise to Ranboo that they would meet again and he’d be damned if he didn’t.

“Tommy?” Jordan’s voice broke him out of his thoughts. The man’s voice was distant so Tommy assumed he was still in the dining room. “Did you want to start that dinner?”

With a dramatic groan even though he was the only one around to hear, Tommy lifted himself off of the bed and made his way to the kitchen. Jordan glanced at the crown on his hand inquisitively but he didn’t ask anything so Tommy didn’t give him any answers. The preparation of dinner went smoothly, if not a lot awkwardly but Tommy was drifting off to sleep soon enough.

**Author's Note:**

> Quick Question!!: Do you guys prefer longer parts or shorter ones? This part was supposed to wrap up Tommy's journey but it ended up being a lot longer than I intended (not surprising) so I decided to split it in half to make it easier! Please let me know for the future which is easiest to read! 
> 
> When I talk about the whispers I mean the private messaging within the in game chat. I decided to make it more magical than technological because this AU focuses more on magic and fantasy than technology. Sorry if that was confusing!
> 
> Spoilers for recent streams! I'm ngl, I'm very excited for the new arc!! I'm desperately hoping we get to see a revival of the Antarctic Empire + Tommy with some minor chaos because that's all I want in my life rn! Also!!! Free my man Phil! He ain't done nothing wrong!! I'm so mad that L'Manburg put him on house arrest because he was protecting his son!! Like???? What??? And they still think they're in the right???
> 
> Anyways! Thanks so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed!! Please leave a kudos and comments! I read all the comments and they honestly make me so happy! <3 [twitter](https://twitter.com/cracklesnapple1)


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